


The Rings Of Life

by corinnemaree



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Princes & Princesses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-01
Updated: 2017-03-01
Packaged: 2018-09-27 17:16:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10035869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/corinnemaree/pseuds/corinnemaree
Summary: When the Mikaelson's invade the Mystic Kingdom, Klaus doesn't quite expect to be thrust with the princess, Caroline, in order to keep safe some rings. But it is what the rings can do that changes everything.





	

**Author's Note:**

> THIS IS ALL TRASH AND IT'S BASED ON THAT SHITTY PRINCE OF PERSIA MOVIE. YEP. I'M AWFUL. (it is also 2am and this hasn't been proof read - will probably fix up in the morning)

King Mikael had a loving and warm family, they were praised and loved throughout their kingdom. Though, Mikael could be harsh on his children, he did so to make them stronger. When it came to the ‘bastard son’, Mikael could be the cruelest. Niklaus was blessed with siblings that cared for him, instead of shunning him like his parents. There were many times where Niklaus was used against Mikael, saying that a bastard - the love child of Esther’s affair - shouldn’t be near the throne. Niklaus was weakened by the bastard’s existence and the hatred was built on from that day forth.

Hundreds of battles and years of being aside, there was one fight that Klaus and the Mikaelson’s were eager to win. Klaus, Elijah, and Kol were all on a mission to find the weapon forges that the Mystic kingdom were suspected to have. Spies for Silas - Mikael’s most trusted advisor - had discovered the forges and the supply that was being delivered to the Mikaelson’s enemies; the brothers were sent to take the city and contain the forges. They had camped out just beyond Mystic’s gates, the walls tall and their palace in the middle - standing mighty and untouchable.

The brothers all met in Elijah’s tent, each taking their spot by a lamp as Elijah gathered together his armour. Being the oldest living brother of the family, he had responsibilities and one of those was leading the army and the generals into battle. Klaus was the second oldest, but with his bloodline severed, Kol was the next male in line to lead the army - Klaus was the spy and the renegade when they needed one. Klaus waited for his brother to start this war council, so, he sharpened his blades. The small dagger was the easiest to sharpen - rarely ever used unless necessary. He slid it back into his boot, finding the small area that kept it safe from his skin.

As Klaus fixed up his arm guards, tightening them around his wrist, along his forearm and up at his elbow, Elijah finally came to the middle of the tent - that same old serious scowl he had on to try and threat his brothers into listening. Klaus grabbed his stone, running it along the edge of the blade as his brother sighed and talked about strategy - where to strike, how hard, how far back should they place the archers. Kol agreed the entire time, wishing to lead the battle as he had always done.

“Mind if I cut in, brother?” Klaus said, standing and sheathing his blade onto his back. The leather armour that was used throughout their wars had few scratches or even dents, the battles Klaus had fought in were usually one sided - with Klaus being the better fighter.

“Surely you don’t think you can lead the army?” Kol scoffed, crossing his arms.

“I think I have a better way of getting inside,” Klaus tested his younger brother. Kol’s jaw tightened before he forced a smile.

“Or is it so that you’ve bought into the rumours of the Princess’ beauty?”

“She is said to be the most beautiful woman in all of Mystic,” Elijah interjected, the conflicted and teasing smile that only an older sibling could. Klaus huffed, shifting his weight from one hip to the other.

“I am not here for the Princess, I am here to find these forges for father’s sake. Or would you like to have her for yourself, Kol?” Klaus smirked, raising an eyebrow. Elijah clapped a hand on Klaus’ shoulder, the conversation over the moment Elijah made it so.

“Kol is the leader, brother. His plan should work just fine,” Elijah nodded and Klaus grimaced, knowing that Elijah was sparing them all an angered discussion from their father. “We attack at sunrise,” Elijah told them. Leaving the tent, Klaus found the other renegades.

Klaus had another idea in mind.

 

*****

 

Caroline had her handmaidens untangling her hair and washing away the paint on her skin when there was a sudden rush moving down the hall. Turning, she saw her chief council, Alaric, rushing into the doorway. He bowed as the handmaidens took their leave. Caroline fixed up her corset, the tough material burdening her with more hours of anxiety. Caroline stood, grabbing her cloak and placing it over her shoulders, the thin white linen matching with the flowing white and gold dress she wore.

“Princess Caroline, the Mikaelson army hasn’t moved. I’m afraid they’re readying to attack,” Alaric explained as they walked along the passageways, making small orders along the way. Caroline, pulled the robe’s hood over her head, tying the ribbon around her waist.

“Gather the rest of the high council. I will in the temple,” she told him, and the worry on Alaric’s brow told Caroline enough.

“But -”

“If they have captured you, and pray that is all they do, it’ll give me more time to send the rings,” she reminded. He took her hand, his fingers running over the opal ring on her right hand.

“Keep it safe, princess,” he nodded before departing. Caroline looked down at the ring, letting her thumb run over the inscription ‘let life be eternal’. She looked out the window to see the fire arrows blazing across the city’s night sky and catch onto home. Pushing all other thoughts aside, she knew that she had to protect the rings with all she had, separating them was the only way to keep the world safe.

  


*****

 

“Is there a reason you’re defying your brother?” Marcel whispered as they hid in the tall grass. Klaus smirked.

“I’d never be able to have any fun if I’d listen to Elijah all the time,” he said as Marcel grumbled. When Klaus was shunned and alone, he could always rely on Marcel to be the perfect friend. “Are you going to help or not?” Klaus challenged, hitching the rope over his shoulder. He raced over to the wall, hunched over as he glanced over his shoulder. He watched as Marcel and another companion aimed their crossbows at the wall. The first one that Marcel fired, it landed a few feet above Klaus’ head, stuck in between the corners of two bricks. Klaus jumped to get a firm holding of it before the next one was fired above and to the right. Kicking up on the wall and the arrows firing, Klaus began to scale up silently.

When given a sign, Klaus perched up, seeing the guard on watch nearing. With a soft breath, Klaus reached over, grabbing the side of the man’s head and thrusting it up onto the wall, knocking the man unconscious. Fixing the ropes, Klaus threw three over the side, his men climbing up the wall in a few minutes. Being met with Marcel and his men, they started to investigate the best way to raise the gate and to get his brother’s men inside the palace walls. “There are two gates. The outer one is easy, it’s the inner gate that’s impossible,” Marcel explained before pointing up towards the two towers. “That gate mechanism is manned by two manned guard towers,” he said. Klaus took hold of his shield, bracing it on his arm and crouching down low.

“You take the outer gate, Marcel, I can take the impossible,” Klaus whispered, making his way to the

“You’re not going to stop until you kill us all,” Marcel whispered out harshly and Klaus kept his head low. Of the two gates, the inner was further away, passing by his men to make it there. As his men fought against the guards, limited sound being made, there was the creaking of sunlight just beyond the horizon. Klaus kept running, trying to use the darkness to his advantage.

“Sound the alarm!” A guard yelled before Klaus’ men shot him with an arrow. The palace was alerted with the sound of a heavy horn, but it meant nothing - the gates were almost theirs and all they needed was for the forces of Elijah’s the see and make their way into the city. Marcel and his men fought their way down, scaling down to the ground with their ropes as Klaus unsheathed one of his swords and fought his way up. Making his way through a few men, he was going to be cornered by five men at the top. He charged, swinging his sword to slice a man’s neck then stepping up onto the edge of the inner wall, jumping across to the other corner.

He made it to the other side, the landing hard as it usually was. As the men approached, he fought two with each of his blades as his men on the ground fired at the other two. Fighting diagonally was a struggle to say the least, every block of their blades had to be done to keep from Klaus’ skin and add to Klaus’ advantage. When Klaus felt the upper hand, he took it; using one blade to block both attacks, he swiftly took the other and drove it through the two men, both falling easily.

Klaus’ men weren’t faring too well, an archer guarding the gate mechanism, hidden by a small gap in the wall, was firing down at the men, almost hitting Marcel. Leaping and bounding to catch the edge of the stone, Klaus held on as he slipped through the gap and kicked the archer as hard as he could. Knocking the guard against the wall, he lay unconscious as Klaus fought and eventually threw the other guard through the gap.

Spinning the gate’s wheel, Marcel and the other men flagged down Elijah, and as the gate finally lifted, Klaus tied a rope to one of the handles to keep it in place as the other end was weighed down by the unconscious man. His men stopped the Mystic soldiers for a time, fires started around the gate to make way for the Mikaelson army. When they charged in, the flames were stamped out by the horses and the dust that lay in their wake. Klaus climbed down to the fight, watching as his brother’s rode in, fighting with all they had.

With each man fallen, there seemed to be more coming from nowhere, but the same seemed to be for the Mikaelson army. When it seemed as though they were winning the battle, there was a man riding on his horse past Mikaelson men everywhere. “Tyler! Ride!” A guard yelled to the man on the horse. Klaus eyed him down, watching as he clung to a satchel at his side and rode hard with a stretched out sword in the other.

“Move!” the man, Tyler, yelled. As he and his horse charged, Klaus ran away, gaining speed down the passageway. As Tyler neared, Klaus bounced off the wall to floor once more before going to the other and gaining some footing. He managed to step up onto the wall and bound off to knock Tyler off his horse.

Klaus and Tyler circled one another before Tyle opted to strike. Even with the work of his spear, Tyler was fast and had amazing technique, Klaus almost wanted to praise him. Ever defense was done to try and gain the upper hand, striking hard above Tyler to get him to lose footing, only to have him go for Klaus’ stomach. Dodging it quickly, Klaus skidded backwards in the dirt. Tired of having this back and forth, Klaus pulled one of his blades down, the effort of it cutting the satchel from Tyler’s waist.

Tyler constantly eyed the satchel, his attention trained on it. Klaus swung his blade first, hitting the edge of the spear everything time, Tyler fighting back as hard as he could to get Klaus away from the satchel. Then, as Tyler thought he had the upper hand, he reached for the satchel, bending down. Klaus moved swiftly to collide his knee with Tyler’s face, sending the poor man on his back.

Klaus reached down to the satchel, rummaging through it only to find one small piece of cloth containing silver of some time. Unraveling it completely, there were three vastly different rings. One had three bands, all woven together and unable to part, the other held a blue gem, but had a thicker band - a wolf engraved across it, and the last was a dark ring that held a green gem in the centre. Nothing seemed to think these rings except for one small thing; along each band of the rings read one phrase: let life be eternal.

Placing them in his pocket, Klaus was taken up to the palace where the princess had no choice by to surrender - the palace completely surrounded. He watched as his brother’s, along with their father’s council - Silas - walked up the steps. Klaus followed behind, watching as they charged into a large room, resembling that of a sacred temple. Instead of entering, Klaus stood by the door, leaning against the frame. The Princess was laid out, bowing before a small alter.

Kol, being the ungraceful and tactless man he always has been, pushing men over and kicked anything he could to the ground around the Princess. She flinched slightly as something crashed nearby. Kol rested his hands on his knees as he looked down at the her. “Stand up, princess. Prayer and songs can’t help you now,” he smirked. As quickly as Kol laughed, the princess picked up the object, revealing itself to be a knife and stood up, the blade just resting at his neck. Luckily for him, Silas was there to stop her force.

“I’d be more careful, Prince Kol,” Silas warned as Kol backed away. The Princess was forced to drop the blade as Elijah made his way over to her. Her face, still hidden by her hood, stood fiercely in front of a room of men, her command shadowing all others. Elijah let her hood fall to her shoulders and the room broke into gasps and gossip. She was remarkable, her hair a brilliant blonde, like sunshine and eyes just as striking as the bluest ocean.

“So the rumours, for once, are true,” Elijah chuckled before Silas spoke.

“We know you make weapons for our enemies.” Princess Caroline turned to Silas, shaking her head.

“Mystic is a peaceful city. We have no forges and the weapons we did have, your men overcame,” she explained.

Kol stepped forwards. “We have other information. You can save yourself a lot of pain -”

“No matter the pain, it will not grant you something that doesn’t exist!” Caroline protested once more, making Kol back off. Klaus was starting to like her more and more, the fire that held her breast - untamable and stands for her own. A queen in everything she was, exactly who she was raised to be.

“Spoken like one wise enough to know a political move when shown,” Elijah said, turning her attention. “Join hands with me; the future king of the Mikaelson family,” he asked, extending his hand to her. There was a pause and Klaus sighed, pulling the rings from his pocket, adjusting each on a finger. The wolf placed on his index, the puzzle on his middle, and the darkened ring on his pinky. They were once loose but tightened to fit his fingers. Klaus marvelled at it until he heard the princess speak.

“I’ll die first.” Her words took everyone by surprise, even Elijah tilted his head.

“That can be arranged,” he smiled. Princess Caroline glanced around the room and Klaus played with the rings, circling them on his fingers. As Elijah gained a grip on his blade, Caroline’s eyes fell on Klaus, watching him. His brow furrowed before Elijah was about to strike.

“Wait!” she called out, her eyes remaining on Klaus. He watched her in curiosity and wonder. She finally turned back to Elijah. “Prince Elijah, promise me the people of Mystic with not be harmed and shown mercy,” she asked. Elijah gathered up her hand, kissing it with a passionate gaze.

“Granted,” he nodded.

Then, they flooded into the streets of Mystic, celebrating with drink after drink. When Klaus walked by, people roared, calling him ‘the lion with Mikaelson blood’, drinking to his name. It was the first time Klaus had been praised. Separating from the party, he changed from his leather armour to a think linen shirt, a long black jacket decorated subtly with the Mikaelson crest. Around his neck, he hung the necklaces from his mother and sister but they were disguised by the red scarf that he put on over his shoulders. When Klaus emerged from his tent, he was greeted by a smiling Elijah, an energy and excitement that was dulled by Elijah’s trained face.

“Father has come,” he said, clapping his hand on Klaus’ shoulder and guiding him to their father’s tent.

“Must be to congratulate you on taking the city,” Klaus rolled his eyes.

When they made it to their father’s tent, it seemed as though Kol had received a thorough talking to already. Yet, as the two brothers walked in, they knew they would get the brunt of the blame. Mikael’s brow was firmly knitted, an irritated and harshed look was placed on them both. They closed the entrance to the tent, Mikael talking briefly with Silas. Then, it seemed as though his rage was coming to its peak.

“What on earth were you boys thinking?” he started, hand bound and his jaw tightening.

Elijah cleared his throat. “We were given word -”

“Word?! You go by word?!” Mikael shouted and every man in the room flinched slightly.

“It was a reliable source,” Elijah tried to explain.

“How are you to know?” Mikael tested.

“Father -”

“It is my fault,” Klaus interjected and Mikael’s attention snapped to Klaus, the scowl on his face was undeniably the one he used only for Klaus.

“Am I speaking to you, boy?” he spat.

“I broke into Mystic first without Elijah’s word, it is my fault that we were not given more information,” Klaus explained, raising his chin. Before Mikael could berate or strike Klaus anymore, Silas whispered in their father’s ear, who reluctantly sighed and the tension in his shoulders faded.

“The city is ours for now. Pray you do not have it stolen from underneath you,” he said, ordering the brothers out. Kol walked past them, grabbing for the bottle of wine in the hand of another soldier; he took a hard swig as fast as he could.

“Why must you do that?” Elijah said, a hand on Klaus’ chest.

“Better to have the bastard scorned than the future king,” Klaus smiled and Elijah huffed, fixing up his jacket.

“Pray father does not think me weak,” he said, both of them walking back to the castle for the celebrations with the princess and their father.

“Impossible, brother,” Klaus smirked and Elijah shook his head. Sharing a bottle of ale, they talked about the battle, Elijah asking how Klaus pulled it off but Klaus modest as he always was; rarely divulging information and reliving it for himself as he teased. When they made it back to the palace, Klaus and Elijah sat in the garden. Passing the ale back and forth, they eventually finished the bottle.

“Have you brought a gift for our father?” Elijah suddenly asked and Klaus huffed, lying back on the grass defeated. “Do not worry, dear brother, take the gift I was going to give him. It’s a robe from the clerics of Mystic,” Elijah smiled and Klaus chuckled, rising up onto his elbows.

“You really are the better brother,” Klaus chuckled and Elijah rolled his eyes.

As they took their time, waiting for the people to pile in for the celebrations, there was a new but familiar face walking along the balcony above the garden’s courtyard. Princess Caroline had changed into a more sasifiticated by still regal attire; a midrise shirt underneath a Mystic crest embroidered jacket, accompanied with pants that flowed as she walked.

“I am to make that beauty my bride,” Elijah remarked blissfully. Caroline glanced down into the courtyard before she was urged further into the palace.

“Are you sure you want to wed her? Aren’t you promised already?” Klaus asked.

“Do you wish her for yourself, brother?” Elijah tried to ask. There were very rare times where Klaus would express interest in a woman - no more than just a night with them anyhow.

“I just don’t know why you’d think she’d kneel to you?” Klaus shrugged.

“I made her a promise. We will both comply,” Elijah said, getting to his feet and helping Klaus to his own.

Klaus was told by his brother to escort the Princess to the celebrations, to make sure she didn’t try anything - like a possible escape. Klaus sat on the ledge of the window, waiting for her to round the corner in the wait of the soldiers. It took no time, and she fell in line with them, surrounded by them easily and she huffed. Klaus slipped from the ledge onto solid ground and smiled to Caroline.

“So, I’m escorted by Prince Niklaus, the lion of Mikaelson blood,” she started, fixing up her jacket around her shoulders. “Must feel wonderful to be getting such a title for destroying an innocent city,” she spat, as though she was going to get a rise out of him. It almost did. He faked a smile before leading the men.

“A pleasure to meet you too, Princess,” he said, walking backwards and talking with the princess. “And let me say, if I defeat my King’s enemies, should I not be praised for such a thing?” he shrugged and her scowl was evidence enough that she had a disdain for him.

“You are a true Mikaelson Prince. Brutal and without honour,” Caroline rolled her eyes.

“Don’t make the mistake of thinking you know me, Princess.”

“And what more is there?” she asked, batting her eyelashes. As Klaus was met with a few more soldiers, he clapped one on the shoulder.

“Wait here with her highness. And try not to kill her, if you can manage it,” he smirked at her and she pouted, crossing her arms in defiance. Klaud made his way into the celebrations; dancing, drinking, and lewd behaviour by men all around. Mikael sat in the middle of the room, and to Klaus’ surprise, he gestured Klaus over. Passing by his brothers, both drinking with one another, happy with their victory.

Klaus sat by Mikael’s side, a calm to him that Klaus had never been in the presence of. “So, you lead the attack?” he asked and Klaus licked at his lips.

“I defied Elijah’s orders and made my way in. I was only an aid,” Klaus confessed as Mikael’s hand slid to Klaus’ cheek.

“I think you have done a great thing, breaking into the unbreakable,” Mikael remarked and Klaus felt a pride he could never quite reach before, pour into his chest.

“Thank you.”

“However,” Mikael said, clearing his throat and leaning in towards Klaus. “If you are my son, you’d feel remorse for this city, one we had no quarrel with,” he said, eyes trained on him, seeing if Klaus were to be honest.

“I do, father. Let me show you,” he nodded, showing the cloak that Elijah had given to Klaud to give to his father. It was a small gift to apesis his father. He placed it on before he waited for what they both knew was the sealing of a deal. Klaus gestured to the soldier, who led in Caroline. Klaus stood by her side, his hand on her back as he showed his father. “May I present Princess Caroline. Elijah wishes to make a union with her people through marriage. It is my deepest wish that you approve so our two kingdoms shall be united,” he asked and Mikael nodded, witnessing Caroline for the first time - seemingly stunned like the rest of the Mikaelson family.

“In all my travels, I’ve never seen such a beautiful city, your highness,” Mikael complimented. It was met with a hard stare.

“You should have seen it before your brutal animals, you know as an army, came through its gates,” Caroline said, her chin rising as her hands remained bound tightly.

“Clearly she’ll make a fine queen,” he laughed. Mikael rubbed a hand over his jaw before he made up his mind. “But Elijah is already promised to Katerina, if I’m not mistaken,” he said, looking over to Elijah, who nodded in agreement. “You, Niklaus might take fewer chances if such a woman was to be yours. The princess of Mystic will be your wife,” Mikael ordered suddenly and there was a hollering around the hall.

“Father, I -”

“Finally I found a way to silence you, boy,” Mikael laughed once more. Marcel came over, slapping Klaus in the back hard, knocking him around and out of his daze. It wasn’t but a moment later that things started to become odd. When everyone turned to Mikael, he was struggling against his cloak, before he started to yell out in pain. Everyone dropped their glasses, rushing to his aid. Kol tried first and as did Elijah but were both stung by the cloak, hissing in pain as their hands were infected.

“Poison!” Silas yelled out. Klaus skidded to the floor, trying to take the cloak off, but was too unable to help. Mikael reached out and grabbed Klaus’ shirt, tugging on it with the last remaining anger and strength he had left.

“How could you, boy?” he asked before yelling out in pain once more.

“Someone help him!” Klaus called.

“Assassin!" Silas called out again. Klaus scattered back on his feet, rushing off and grabbing the blade of a nearby soldier, fighting as hard as he could before he saw Marcel come to his aid. All of Klaus’ renegades were targeted, fighting the soldiers to give Klaus enough time to escape. He saw all of his renegades fall, including Marcel. It was still Klaus fighting his way out.  

“Follow me!” Caroline said, catching hold of his jacket, pulling him with her as they made their way to a balcony.

“Why are you helping me?” he asked, stopping them both.

“Because I know the way out. Come on!” she said harshly, before she stepped up on the balcony and forced Klaus over it with her. They landed into a deep water fountain below before the chaos started. Emerging from the water, they both gasped for air, finding their way out and gathering together a small amount of supplies before needing to escape.

Caroline started to cut horses from their ropes, setting them off down the path leading out of the city. Klaus helped Caroline up and they rode with the rest of the horses. Soldiers raced after them, but with everything going on, they managed to slip past the men - with the aid of unleashed horses. They made it to the desert with their lives intact, but at what cost?

**Author's Note:**

> you can find me on tumblr @wonderrbat. hmu if you liked it.


End file.
